4 stances of a Post-modernism and how we need to see differently as Christians.
Everyone has a belief-system and here is what I frankly believe is the biggest belief-system on the fair shores of the UK: Post-modernism. I want to list 4 basic tenets or beliefs of post-modern thoughts and how we are to differ as Christians:
Post Modern Belief 1 # Tolerance is the highest form of morality: The golden rule of Christianity is that 'love' is the highest virtue. It's the 'Golden rule' that allows us to “love God, love ourselves and then love others” from a place of meeting needs. We are required to never cease to see the God given value of others. However, we are never asked to tolerate everything everyone else believes as if what people believe and their self-value are intrinsically linked. You see - yes - love can be tolerant. But love is not tolerance. Love is more. Love can be intolerant, especially of anything which is not love. There are plenty of things I spot in the UK and people say “live and let live” and I say “no, I don't tolerate that” and people look at me wide-eyed. I've just broken their "golden rule". Example: not all beliefs or ideas carry the same weight. Some are naturally, actually better than others. Saying so is not a sin. I choose my faith because I believe it's better than the others, more truer, more in line with the needs of man. That's wholly intolerant to post-modernism. But as a Christian I'll happily say that and still love others whilst saying so.
Post Modern Belief 2 # Absolutism & Fundamentalism are wrong. If you read the papers we are being asked to partner with the idea that any kind of fundamentalism is wrong. We are told about people who have just connived and conspired to do one major evil or another - that they were fundamentalists. This is in error! It comes from the post-modern belief core-value of 'Skepticism': At it's heart is the belief that there are no "Major Truth Claims" (meta narratives) we can trust or lean on in life & If we absolutely believe in anything we will walk into error, trouble and personal pain. What post-modern “believers'' don't see is that people are so wired for belief that everyone has a Major Truth Claim in their life. They are also fundamentalist believers. They have a fundamental belief - Skepticism or post-rationalism. It's okay to believe in fundamentals. My fundamental is just that God is real, love is real and that God has paid the ultimate sacrificial cost for people. It's a fundamental without fear or control and it won't hurt people, even if it runs counter to their value system. See #1.
Post Modern Belief 3 # For something to be real, first and fore-mostly it has to be rational Post-modernism is a reaction to rationalism but it can't quite break away from it's rational roots. Bill Johnson of Bethel church Redding says “I never went anywhere truly important in my life head first.” and “the head is a great servant but a poor master”. We understand post-modernism, as the name suggests, as a response to Modernism. Modernism is a belief from the 'enlightenment' (and still a high-roller belief in the UK) that was packaged in with the advent of science: a belief that scientific thought would ABOLISH faith and that rational thought would become the Major Truth Claim that would propel humanity into all progress, meaning and fulfilment. Two World Wars and a visible decrease in moral and family values later – post-modernism is the disillusioned reaction to a life lived mainly from the mind. We need to be careful not to create a sharp intellectual culture but one of emotional retardation and ineptitude. In short we need to leave room for the heart and the spirit to lead: Church in western Europe has declined as it has moved toward Apologetics to becoming apologetic. The Apostle Paul, just came at life in this way “I am not here in purely persuasive words of human wisdom. I am coming in the Spirit, and with power”. The secret is "Permission". We need permission to live from the heart. Rationalism is one part of life but not the defining part.
Post Modern Belief 4 # We live in a world with a lot of grey where we don't always have the answer... “Where do you stand on the gay debate?” has now become the 'bait' to pull Christians into a world of grey. It's easy to hang our head, gently whistle and side step out of the debate. But we DO have the Answer! It's just the answer is not purely a knowledge answer (rationalism) but a relationship with God! He is the way and the truth and LIFE. Jesus wasn't purely shouting at people the right direction to go, but to walk with Him in relationship – that was the right direction! He redeems. Things with God experience and are converted into love. The relationship is the destination. We can know God is right, in what He has said, and love people without being post-modernist and thinking every belief is the same. We don't have to run with post-modern culture and redefine our morality and step into 'the grey'.
These are just some thoughts, and if anyone has any insights or discussion I'd love to hear from you! I'm just very aware when we enter into a new culture or return to one from time away, there can easily be a lot of cultural pre-suppositions we are asked to take as 'normal' when in fact it's so important to weigh and measure everything against what God is doing!
